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Michael Bryant quitting McGuinty Liberals

Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant, a top contender to eventually succeed Premier Dalton McGuinty as Liberal leader, is quitting politics, the Toronto Star has learned.

Bryant, 43, who is also MPP for the riding of St. Paul's, is leaving to become CEO of the new Invest Toronto corporation chaired by Mayor David Miller.

Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant is set to take on key post with Invest Toronto corporation. (ANDREW WALLACE / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO)

City sources say Miller is delighted by his hiring coup.

Bryant is expected to remain in cabinet until the Legislature rises on June 4. McGuinty said he will take over the economic development portfolio.

The departure is a huge blow to the provincial government as the brash minister has been McGuinty's point man on the negotiations to save the domestic auto industry.

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The premier and Bryant have frequently sparred over the years, with senior Liberals confiding there is no love lost between the two men.

Of all the potential successors to McGuinty – including Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, Energy Minister George Smitherman, and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne, among others – the Harvard-educated lawyer most rankles the premier's office.

That's because he has been an "in-your-face," activist minister, who is popular with the media for his communications' savvy and pithy sound bites.

As attorney general during the Liberals' first term from 2003 to 2007, Bryant banned pit bulls, closed numerous marijuana grow operations, and delighted television camera crews by crushing seized cars used in street racing.

"We will crush your car, we will crush the parts," he thundered in 2007.

His populist style, however, infuriated some in McGuinty's inner circle.

"If we're not careful we're going to turn into another Mike Harris government," one senior adviser grumbled in 2004 after Bryant pushed the pit bull ban.

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That was a derisive reference to the former Progressive Conservative premier's penchant for headline-grabbing law-and-order policies.

Indeed, after McGuinty was re-elected, Bryant was demoted to become minister of aboriginal affairs at the height of the ongoing Caledonia protest, a move he took in stride by plunging into the issue with gusto – and with an army of journalists in tow.

Last summer, amid rumblings that a Bay Street venture capital firm was wooing the minister, the premier shuffled him to the higher-profile economic development portfolio.

"Michael has proven himself time and time again as a capable, creative minister with a strong work ethic," said McGuinty, mindful that he had to boost his economic team as recession fears mounted.

"Ontarians need him to help grow our economy – that's what he'll now be doing," the premier said Sept. 18.

Within a few weeks, however, Bryant's job will be to promote Toronto's economy and lure new business to town.

Last year, the city created two new agencies – Build Toronto, a real estate enterprise to develop city lands aggressively, and Invest Toronto, a marketing body to promote the city to investors.

Miller chairs both bodies and Build Toronto has appointed Canadian development executive Lorne Braithwaite as CEO and Derek Ballantyne as COO.

Tensions between McGuinty and Bryant have been exacerbated by the latter's political ambitions.

The minister's recent speech on the need for government intervention in the economy – "reverse Reaganism," he called it – galled McGuinty, who resented the media attention it received.

The premier responded by distancing himself from the remarks even though he has long been an ardent proponent of government helping business.

Liberals say Bryant's leadership team is by far the most organized, even though McGuinty has pledged to run for re-election in 2011.

Sources say that if and when the premier does leave the Liberal helm, they expect Bryant to return to elected politics.

Queen's Park observers suspected something was up last week when Bryant, a married father of two young children, rose in the House to welcome his daughter and son, who were seated in the public gallery of the Legislature.

Speaking after New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park) introduced some young girls visiting from her riding by noting "one of them will be premier one day," Bryant flashed a toothy grin.

"I want to introduce my fabulous kids, Sadie and Louis Bryant. You all better hope that one of them isn't premier one day."

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